


The Magnificent Seven

by MrProphet



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-24 22:31:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10751118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrProphet/pseuds/MrProphet





	The Magnificent Seven

_I am the Maker-of-Signs to the Tribe of the Dark Woods; Moon-Watcher is the name I was given. My father was known as Memory-of-Stone, for he was the Maker-of-Signs before me, and I was his apprentice. Now, I am the Maker in my own right, but I am also an apprentice once more. I am apprentice to Little-Shining-Eyes, the Maker-of-Signs and young-Elderman of the Tribe Beyond the Pool of Stars. I have learned the signs of his tribe, with which I now record this tale for the Eldermen and Elderwomen of the Tribe Beyond the Pool of Stars, and so I am known to some as Reader-of-Spiders._

_Know, you who read this, that I speak of the time after the coming of the Tribe Beyond the Pool of Stars, when the Tribe of the Fire Mountain mined the burning stone for their new brothers. I speak of the time in this time when the Serpent-Devil brought forth the Shadow Spirit against our people and the Hallowed Ground was much troubled with the blood of its protectors._

_At the Ninth Moon of the Year of the Serpent, in the time of the Chief of the Dark Woods Great-Thunder, word reached us that they Tribe of the Fire Mountain had been attacked by a terrible monster. The keepers of the sacred land cried out to the other tribes for aid and the Elderman of the Dark Woods, Great-Shining-Eyes, called upon the warriors of our tribe to answer that cry._

_It was a fearful path to walk, for the Tribe of the Fire Mountain are valiant and strong, and we knew that the monster must be terrible indeed to have overthrown them. Moreover, we feared that the beast would come to our land next and none wished to leave their kin unprotected. Nevertheless, when the spirit moves, a warrior must act in accordance, and so six of us – young warriors with neither mate nor calf to suffer in our absence – came forth from our own caves and travelled to the cavern of the Elderman and his mate, the Spiritwoman Carves-the-Lightning-Sand._

_These were the six:_

_Scrapes-the-Clouds was the eldest and most experienced of us, a tall bull who stood head and shoulders above even the mighty Chief, Great-Thunder. There was no doubt that he would lead us._

_Leaps-the-Black-Chasm was a very young warrior, noted for his recklessness. He had earned his name by leaping across the bottomless crevasse which cut through the Deep Caves, in order to prove his valour to Eyes-of-Copper, the hind of the Deep Caves Tribe that he wished to take to mate. By all report, she was unmoved by this gesture._

_Stands-under-the-Sky was a warrior of great fortitude, who chose to live in the open air instead of beneath the earth. Many considered him to be touched, but his valour was beyond question._

_Breaks-the-Mountain was a mighty warrior indeed, a powerful yet simple soul. He was stronger even than Scrapes-the-Clouds and his roar shook the very earth._

_Chases-the-Wind was a great runner, and she was the only hind of the Dark Woods who carried herself as a warrior. She had been named not for her swiftness, but for the impossible goal that she sought to attain, to be accepted as a warrior-hind, and I knew that she answered the call in order to prove herself._

_And I was the Maker-of-Signs who would remember all that was done._

_In the cave of the Elderman, we met with a seventh, a warrior of the Fire Mountain. Kills-the-Beast had hunted and slain, with his bare claws, a cave lion which had terrorised the Fire Mountain, yet there was fear in his eyes now._

_“This is the way of it,” the Elderman said, regarding us with his shining eyes, which were a gift to him from the Tribe Beyond the Pool of Stars. Before, he had been fading, but now Grey-Mountain was Great-Shining-Eyes; he moved more surely and his vision was sharp once more. This was the great magic of the Tribe Beyond the Stars._

_“This is the way of it,” the Elderman said. “The old must stay with the Tribe while the young go forth to greatness and legend. Your names shall live forever on the Wall of Heroes, even should you all be slain.” He looked at me as he spoke this, for it was my hand that had carved the seven names upon the Wall._

_“You are the pride of the Dark Forest,” the Elderman said. “You go into great peril to defend the Hallowed Ground and the blessings of the Tribe go with you.”_

_From the ground before him, the Elderman took up a rope of cave-lion teeth, which he gave to Scrapes-the-Clouds. To each of the other warriors he gave a pendant, bearing the sign of the Serpent-Devil, that they should take from him his strength and be not quelled by it. To me he gave a pendant set with an incorruptible stone, ground smooth and clear by the river, that I might see clearly._

_Then to each of us, he gave a mask, carved from the skull of one of the great beasts – lion, bear, lammergeier and dire wolf – for we would go forth in this not as mere warriors, but as avatars of the great spirit warriors of our people._

_From the rear of the cave, Carves-the-Lightning-Sand then came forth and her apprentice, Maker-of-Traps – a hind of great beauty and craft; my own promised mate and cherished love – walked at her side and bore a wooden dish. The Spiritwoman took from this platter the fruits of her skill and cunning, and to each of the warriors she gave a knife of lightning sand, crafted by her hand from the black stone of the Blasted Desert, that cuts more keenly than any steel or flint._

_Seven blades she had and the seventh she gave to the warrior of the Fire Mountain, Kills-the-Beast. It seemed to me that I would bear no such weapon, but Maker-of-Traps set down the platter and came to me._

_“For you, I have laboured,” she said, and she gave to me a dagger wrought with her own hands. I took the blade with a high heart, knowing that if I returned successful I would at last be worthy to take to mate the young-Spiritwoman of my Tribe._

_“Go with the blessings of the Dark Forest and the Blasted Desert and of all the Tribes,” the Spiritwoman said. Her eyes were pale and luminous as the spirit way settled on her and she saw that which was hidden to mortal eyes. “Go you to the Hallowed Ground; defend the sacred domain where our ancestors lie and uphold the honour of the Tribe and the People. Be wise and cunning, as well as bold and mighty, for some foes can not be overcome by strength alone.”_

_“We shall need no tricks,” Scrapes-the-Clouds said. “I fear no monster.”_

_“A monster may also be powerful,” the Elderman said. “More powerful than any warrior.”_

_“And so it is with this monster,” Kills-the-Beast said. “Its hide is proof against claw and blade and it throws fire from its hands.”_

_“It shall fall if the spirits are with us,” Scrapes-the-Clouds said._

_“Only if you heed the words of the spirits and use what they have given you,” the Elderman said. “Any monster can be strong; only a warrior can be cunning.”_

_His words were wise, but Scrapes-the-Clouds was proud. The tall bull led the warriors from the cave of the Elderman. I paused only to touch my fingers to those of Maker-of-Traps, and then I followed._

_We left the caves and passed through and out of the Dark Woods. We went East, away from the Blasted Desert and toward the Fire Mountain; to the Hallowed Ground where our ancestors had died fro the Serpent-Devil._

_On the sacred earth, we saw that many of our brothers among the Tribe of the Fire Mountain had joined the ancestors in death. The warriors lay like carrion on the rocks and with them lay many of the young warriors of the Tribe Beyond the Pool of Stars who had become our friends, bulls and hinds alike._

_The spirit posts which stood watch over the Hallowed Ground had been cast down and desecrated. The servants of the Serpent-Devil now walked upon the Hallowed Ground, taking the burning stone that the Tribe of the Fire Mountain had mined for our friends Beyond the Pool of Stars. At the sight of such blasphemy we grew wrathful. We set the masks of the spirit warriors upon our faces and felt the strength of our ancestors flow through us._

_With the pure rage of the avenging spirit, we fell upon the servants of the Serpent-Devil. They were many and we were few, but they feared the ancient spirits and our fury was just. We slew them and they harmed us not._

_We broke their camp and burned all sign of them to ash with their own flame spears; all save their heads. The heads we took, along with the heads of our brothers in the Tribe of the Fire Mountain and the Tribe Beyond the Pool of Stars, and set them up on new spirit posts to stand watch against the coming of the monster. Their vigil was not long._

_Before the sun rose the next morning, the monster came out from the caves. It was black, with a carapace like a beetle’s; it was smaller than we had thought and so we underestimated its power._

_Breaks-the-Mountain sprang upon the monster and seized it in his great arms. To our horror, it threw him off with barely an effort. Poor Breaks-the-Mountain; his simple mind could not fathom how outmatched he was. He leaped up again and this time the monster stretch forth its hand and burned him with its terrible fire._

_So Breaks-the-Mountain died, and his spirit dwells forever in the deep caverns of the Hallowed Ground._

_With bellows of rage, Scrapes-the-Clouds and Stands-under-the-Sky attacked, but their long spears broke on the black carapace and the monster struck out at them, knocking them aside as though they were naught but saplings before a summer storm. That terrible flame burned once more._

_So Scrapes-the-Clouds died, and his spirit dwells forever in the deep caverns of the Hallowed Ground._

_Stands-under-the-Sky leaped up again and grappled with the monster, pinning it with his mighty body. “Go!” he roared, as the monster struggled in his grip. “I can not hold it. Flee now! Be cunning and avenge us in time!”_

_The monster twisted and thrashed in its efforts to be free of Stands-under-the-Sky, but with his dying strength, our comrade held fast and refused to yield._

_“Go!” Chases-the-Wind echoed. “I will lead it away and buy you time.”_

_“No!” Leaps-the-Black-Chasm replied, but Kills-the-Beast saw her wisdom._

_“When you can run no further, bring it to the high ridge,” Kills-the-Beast called to Chases-the-Wind. “We shall be waiting.”_

_“Blessings of the Dark Forest with us all,” Chases-the-Wind said._

_Kills-the-Beast now led the way; Leaps-the-Black-Chasm and I followed him towards the high ridge that looks out over the Hallowed Ground, to the circle of spirit stones where the Eldermen and Spiritwomen come to honour the dead._

_At the turning of the path, Leaps-the-Black-Chasm turned back. He saw Chases-the-Wind standing ready, and as Stands-under-the-Sky grew weak, she leaped forward and struck at the monster with her knife of lightning sand. The black blade cut deep into the black arm and the monster roared with pain. It hurled Stands-under-the-Sky to the ground and rounded on Chases-the-Wind, but she was away, twisting and turning to avoid the deadly flames._

_Stands-under-the-Sky fell back and breathed his last. So he died, and his spirit dwells forever in the deep caverns of the Hallowed Ground._

_This, Leaps-the-Black-Chasm saw, then he turned and followed us up to the circle of spirit stones._

_“What can we do against such a monster?” I said._

_“We can not fight this enemy,” Kills-the-Beast said. “We must trap it; cripple or bind it so that we can finish it off.”_

_“A trap?” Leaps-the-Black-Chasm said. “Then Chases-the-Wind is our bait; with what do we trap her pursuer?”_

_“With the ridge itself,” Kills-the-Beast replied. “We set a line, send it over the edge, then descend upon it with our blades. This is how we kill the great cave bears. I thought of it when I saw it battle our comrades like a bear at bay; I am ashamed that I did not think it sooner.”_

_“And what of our bait?” I said._

_“We shall require much rope,” Leaps-the-Black-Chasm said._

_We found rope in a hunting lodge of the Fire Mountain Tribe and we set our trap. We waited then, concealed among the rocks, with our faces hidden by the visages of the spirits. We whispered prayers for Chases-the-Wind, knowing that if she too had fallen, our waiting would be to no avail._

_At length, however, Kills-the-Beast, watching by the path, gave a great, booming cry to warn of the monster’s approach. Below, we heard the scrabble of Chases-the-Wind’s claws upon the rock and the thump of the monster’s heavy tread._

_As Chases-the-Wind came to the foot of the ridge, Kills-the-Beast sprang out to push her from the trail. Taken by surprise, the warrior-hind stumbled into the scrub beside the trail and a stream of fire from the hand of the monster turned that scrub to an inferno. Leaps-the-Black-Chasm almost sprang up, but I gripped his arm and cautioned silence with a glower._

_With a flick of his wrist, Kills-the-Beast sent his knife flying into the monster’s leg, fixing its intention on him. He ran and at once, it gave chase._

_Kills-the-Beast ran through the circle of spirit stones and at the brink of the cliff he sprang out into space. As the monster hurtled after him, it struck the line; the line snapped, although it was good, strong rope, but the monster tripped and plunged headlong after the warrior of the Fire Mountain._

_Leaps-the-Black-Chasm and I ran to the ridge and stared down. Kills-the-Beast clutched the rope that we had anchored at the clifftop; the monster clutched his ankle. It must have been heavier than it looked, for Kills-the-Beast’s mighty arms were already shaking with the strain._

_The monster looked up at us, released Kills-the-Beast’s ankle with one hand and raised its fist to hurl its deadly fire. Without hesitation, Leaps-the-Black-Chasm sprang from the ridge and plunged down upon the monster. The killing fire flew wildly as Leaps-the-Black-Chasm’s blade stabbed into the monster’s chest. I stumbled back and the rope snapped up like a striking snake as the fire scorched it through._

_As I returned to the cliff edge, I was joined by Chases-the-Wind, exhausted, burned, but very much alive. We looked down and saw three small figures lying at the base of the cliff; the smallest of them was still moving._

_“The spirit stone,” I said, struck by sudden inspiration. I bowed before the largest of the stones, which sat closest to the drop, and whispered a prayer for the forgiveness of the spirits. Then I grasped the stone and Chases-the-Wind joined me; between us we hauled the stone from its ancient seat and cast it from the ridge. Down it fell, to land with a crash upon the struggling form of the monster. The stone split from side-to-side, a full third broken off from its crown._

_We made our way quickly to the remaining ropes and descended the cliff as swiftly as possible. As we approached, we saw that the monster still moved, one arm and both legs twitching where they jutted from beneath the spirit stone. We walked around to find the monster’s head. Its face had cracked open and I saw then that the creature wore a mask, very like our own. It wore the face of its own spirit, and a terrible, Shadow Spirit it must have been to give a warrior such horrifying power. Now the face had broken, however, although it had taken the sacrifice of one of our spirits to break its power._

_Chases-the-Wind and I peeled back the shattered mask and drove our knives into the monster’s brain. At last, it lay still._

_Kills-the-Beast died avenging his fallen kin and he dwells forever in the deep caves of the Hallowed Ground._

_Leaps-the-Black-Chasm did not die. He survived his fall and was even able to walk back to the Dark Woods beside Chases-the-Wind and myself. When he grew weary from his injuries, he leaned on Chases-the-Wind for support._

_When I told my tale to the Chief, the Elderman and the Spiritwoman, they decreed that Leaps-the-Black-Chasm should take the name Leaps-from-the-Holy-Place, deeming that a more worthy deed than a youthful act of bravado. Still, this too was done for the sake of a hind; he leaped to avenge Chases-the-Wind, whom he thought dead._

_When I told my tale to the Chief, the Elderman and the Spiritwoman, they decreed that Chases-the-Wind should take the name Catches-the-Wind, deeming that she had achieved the goal that some said was impossible. Unlike Eyes-of-Copper, Catches-the-Wind was moved by he who leaped for her; she took Leaps-from-the-Holy-Place to mate as soon as the Spiritwoman could be called to witness._

_When I told my tale to the Chief, the Elderman and the Spiritwoman, they decreed that I should take the name Bids-the-Spirits-Move and be called young-Elderman as well as Maker-of-Signs. As befits a bull of status, I took to mate the young-Spiritwoman, Maker-of-Traps, as soon as the Spiritwoman could be called to witness._

_Later, the Tribe Beyond the Pool of Stars sent their representatives to us to learn what had become of their warriors. They were angry, but when we showed them the shattered mask of the enemy Shadow Spirit, they fell silent. They sent at once for the young-Elderman and their young-Chief, Laughing-Wolf, for whom I have prepared this account of our deeds._

_The spirit of evil came and was vanquished, at great cost, by our own spirits. The Tribe Beyond the Pool of Stars have promised aid if evil comes again to our world – although they insisted that the spirits, and heads, of their own warriors be returned to watch over their own people – but we do not fear evil; we have faced it and shall do so again._

_This is the true account of these events, as set down by Moon-Watcher, Reader-of-Spiders, Bids-the-Spirits-Move, the Maker-of-Signs and young-Elderman for the Tribe of the Dark Woods, who saw all that occurred._


End file.
